Apparatus for separating solid materials by suspension



A. DOUY June 11, 1957 APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SOLID MATERIALS BYSUSPENSION Filed Jan. 5 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR flnmmflovy BY I 4MA /9 M ATTORNEY/5' A. DOUY June 11, 1957 APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SOLIDMATERIALS BY SUSPENSION Filed Jan. 6, 1956 3 She ets-Sheet 2 INVENTORATTORNEYS 'June 11, 1957 DOUY v 2,795,331

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SOLID MATERIALS BY SUSPENSION Filed Jam. 6,1956 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 mvENTbfi M17215 Z00 ATTORNEYS .r 2,795,331 lcPatented June 11, 1957 APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SOLID MATERIALS BYSUSPENSION Andr Douy, Gennevilliers, France, assignor to SocietePreparation Industrielle des Combustibles, Fontainebleau, France, aFrench company Application January 6, 1956, Serial No. 557,781

Claims. (Cl. 209-1725) This invention relates to apparatus forseparating. solid materials and has more particular reference toapparatus for separating a raw heterogeneous product into three productsof different specific gravities and classes by the heavy media process.

One object of the present invention is to provide novel and improvedapparatus for separating a raw heterogeneous product into three productsof different specific gravities and classes by the heavy media process,as for example in separating and classifying coal, ores and the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus, ascharacterized above, which effects a two stage separation providing alight, a heavy and. an intermediary product and which includes two drumsrotatable about a horizontal axis, each adapted to confine a body ofheavy media forming a washing bed; means for feeding the raw productinto the first of the two drums; separate means for each drum foroverflow of float product therefrom; lifter means within each drum,operable by rotation of the drum to lift sink product therein; transfermeans for transferring the lifted sink product from the first drum andfeeding them into the second drum; means for removing the sink productfrom the second drum; and separate means associated with each drum forreceiving the heavy media discharged therefrom and recycling it backinto the washing bed therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus, ascharacterized above, wherein the means for feeding the products to beseparated into the respective separating drums comprise conduits orchutes so arranged that their terminal end portions extend in adirection located on the same plane as the axis of rotation of the drumsand with only their terminal ends entering the drum and at the endopposite the overflow of float products therefrom in position todischarge on the whole width of the upstream side of the washing bedtherein, thereby facilitating access to and maintenance of the interiorof the drums and permitting the length of the washing beds, i. e., thelength of the drums to be determined solely by the characteristics ofthe products being separated therein. A

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus, ascharacterized above, which is economical from the standpoint of spaceutilization and plant investment and which is efficient in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thefollowing specification when considered with the accompanying drawings,wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of apparatus constructed inaccordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 butshowing the stationary connecting unit in side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 3--3 of F ig, 2;

Fig. 4 is. a perspective view of the stationary connecting unit shown inFigs. 1 and 2, with parts omitted. and

parts in cross section;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the chute for transferring sink productsfrom the first separating unit to the second separating unit;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the stationary connecting unit shown inFig. 5 but viewed from the opposite side; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the screening device for receiving thefloat product and the sink product discharged from the second separatingunit.

Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated in Fig. 1 and 2 oneembodiment of apparatus, for the densimetric separation of rawheterogeneous product into three products of different specificgravities, by means of a heavy media of different specific gravities,constructed in accordance with the present invention. As there shown theapparatus comprises a pair of laterally spaced, rotatable separatingunits 10, 11 mounted for rotation about a common horizontal axis; acommon driving unit indicated generally at 12 for simultaneouslyrotating the separating units; and a stationary connecting unit,indicated generally at 13 positioned between the adjacent ends of thetwo separating units and providing means for delivering the particularproducts to be separated along with recycled heavy media employed in theseparation into the respective units.

The two separating units 19' and 11 are substantially identical inconstruction and as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 each comprises a hollowgenerally cylindrical outer drum 14, which is supported for rotation onsuitable rollers 15' mounted on the foundation and riding on two axiallyspaced tires 16 fixed to the outside of the drum and with the ends ofthe drum partially closed by annular plates 17 and 18 with theircircularv openings in the axis of the drum; an inner hollow drum likemember 19, forming a washing chamber adapted to confine a body of heavymedia, fixedly and concentrically mounted within the outer drum 14 andmade up of a cylindrical body portion 20, an outer frusto-conicalendportion 21 having the circular opening in its outer end provided with anoutwardly flaring flange 22 forming an overflow lip or weir, afrustoconical inner end portion 21' having the circular opening in itsouter end partially closed by an annular end wall member 23 with itscircular opening in the axis of the hollow drum like member 19 and beingof less diameter than the circular opening in the outer end of the outerfrusto-conical end portion 21 so that the overflow of liquid from thewashing bed will take place over the overflow lip or Weir formed by theflange 22, and a plurality of sets of latticed scrapers, each made ofspaced apart horizontal bars having their ends secured in the verticalside wall of the mid section 20, forming perforated lifters 24 forlifting the sink products from the bottom of the washing bed as the drumrotates, While permitting the heavy media to drain back into the washingbed.

The inner drum 19 is fixedly mounted within the outer drum 14 forrotation therewith as by means of a plurality of circurnferentiallyspaced connecting members or arms 25. The space between the walls of theinner and outer drum form a receptacle for the heavy media drained fromthe float products discharged from the inner drum in a mannerhereinafter to be described.

A plurality of buckets 26 having closed bottom and side walls and opentop are secured, in circumferential spaced relation, to the innersurface of the outer drum at the inner end thereof,in the space betweenthe two drums, for lifting portions of the heavy media, collected in thebottom of the outer drum, as the drum rotates for discharge at the toppart of the path of travel of the buckets into means for recycling theheavy media, hereinafter to be described.

A longitudinal plate 27 is fixedly vertically mounted within the innerdrum on each side of the center longitu- 3 dinal axis to limit the widthof the washing bed, the plates 27 may be mounted in any suitable manner,they are shown as being secured to the stationary connecting unit 13.

The separating unit in which the first separation takes place is shownas having a screening or spraying chute 28 extending through the openingin the outer end of the outer drum 14 with its inner end positioned toreceive the float product and overflow of heavy media from the washingbed in the inner drum 19. The screening chute 28 may be of any suitableusual construction; it is shown as having a perforated bottom wall 29forming a draining surface for the overflow heavy media and is providedwith a drain pan 30, having an inwardly and downwardly sloping bottomextending below the inner end portion of the chute so that the heavymedia draining through the chute will drain intothe pan and run downinto the bottom of the outer drum 14.

The common drive unit 12 for simultaneously rotating the separatingunits 10 and 11 may be of any suitable type. It is shown as comprising adrive mechanism M for driving chains engaging sprockets 31 mounted onthe inner ends of the outer drums 14 of the two separating units.

The stationary connecting unit 13 provides means for introducing the rawproducts into the first separating unit; means for introducing the sinkproducts from the first separating unit into the second separating unit,as well as means forming parts of the paths for recycling the heavymedia in each of the separating units.

The connecting unit may be of any suitable construction. It is shown ascomprising a hollow generally cylindrical member 32 having a verticalflange 33 around each of its open ends; a stationary supporting frame,indicated generally at 34, for supporting the cylindrical member 32 inposition between the two separating units with each of its flanged openends projecting intothe axial opening in the inner end of the inner drum19 of the adjacent separating unit so that the flange 33 forms animpervious baffle with the circular end wall 24 of the inner drum; aconduit indicated generally at 35 for feeding the raw product into thewashing bed in the inner drum 10 of the first separating unit; aconduit, indicated generally at 36 for transferring the sink productfrom the first separating unit into the wash bed in the inner drum 10 ofthe second separating unit; and an open top trough-like member indicatedgenerally at 37 and divided to form a spout 38 for receiving the heavymedia discharged from the buckets 26 in the outer drum of the firstseparating unit and directing it into the conduit 35 for feeding the rawproduct into the first separating unit and a spout 39 for receiving theheavy media discharged from the buckets 26 in the outer drum of thesecond separating unit and directing it into the conduit 36 fortransferring the sink product from the first separating unit into thesecond separating unit.

The conduit 35 for feeding the raw product into the first separatingunit may be of any suitable construction, it is shown as formed in twoparts, an outer part 40 and an inner part 41. The outer part 40 issecured to the cylindrical member 32 and extends outwardly through atransversely extending opening formed in the top and side walls of thecylindrical member in a plan perpendicular to the longitudinal axis ofthe member. The outer part is shown as having vertical side walls 42,43; a downwardly inclined bottom wall 44, and an open top positionedbelow a suitable screen 45 for the raw products. The inner part 41 isshown as being formed by a downwardly inclined plate 46 of conical shapeand plates 47, 48 connected to the vertical side wall 43and the plate46.

The conduit36 for transferring the sink products from the firstseparating unit into the second separating unit may be of any suitableconstruction. It is shown as formed in two parts, an outer part 49, andan inner part 50. The outer part 49 extends outwardly and upwardly ifrom the end of the cylindrical member 32 opening into the inner drum ofthe first separating unit, with its upper receiving end positioned toreceive the sink products lifted from the bottom of the washing bed inthe drum by the lifters 24 as the drum rotates. The outer part 49 isshown as a trough-like member having an upper vertical end 51 andvertical side walls 52, 53 and a fiat bottom wall 54 with the side wallsand the bottom wall converging into a semi-cylindrical shape at theirlower end portions. The inner part is shown as a generallysemi-cylindrical member 55 connected to and extending longitudinallythrough the cylindrical member 32 above the plate 46 and between theside wall of the, cylindrical member and the plate 47 with its inner endconnected to the outer part 49 and its outer end portion flared out intoa conical shape as indicated at 56 in order to deliver the sink productsonto the whole width of the wash bed in the inner drum of the secondseparating unit.

The divided open top trough-like member 37, which forms the two spouts38, 39, may be of any suitable construction, it is shown as formed by avertical triangular shaped end wall 57 having its base extending acrossand secured to the tops of the vertical side walls 42 and 43 of theouter part 40 of the conduit 35, a vertical plate 58 secured to thecylindrical member 32 and closing the end of the transversely extendingopening therein opposite the outer part of the chute 35 and carrying atriangular extension 59 forming the other end wall of the trough; abottom wall formed by a pair of flat rectangular plates 60, 61, inclineddownwardly with their inner ends secured together and their outer endssecured to the base of the triangular plates forming the end walls; sidewalls formed by curved plates 62, 63 having their bottom edge secured tothe cylindrical member 32 and one of their end edges joined to thevertical side walls of the outer portions of the conduit 35; and avertical partition plate 64 extending between the two side walls withits bottom edge secured to the bottom wall dividing the trough-likemember into the two spouts 38, 39. An opening 65 is formed in the bottomwall of the spout 38 and positioned to discharge into the conduit 35 andan opening 66 is formed in the bottom wall of the spout 39 andpositioned to discharge into the conduit 36.

In order to insure all of the heavy media discharge by the buckets inthe two separating units flows into the respective spouts, a pair ofinclined conduits or troughs 67, 68 may be provided, the trough 67having its lower end connected to the spout 38 to discharge thereintoand its upper receiving end positioned below the buckets 26 in the firstseparating unit. The trough 68 having its lower discharge end secured tothe spout 39 and its upper receiving end positioned below the buckets 26in the second separating unit. The conduits 67 and 68 may be open topchannel shaped having a vertical upper end wall and vertical side wallsas shown.

The separating unit 11 in which the second separation takes place isshown as having a downwardly and outwardly inclined chute 69 having itsupper receiving end ositioned to receive the heavy or sink productlifted from the bottom of the inner drum 10 by the lifters 24 as thedrum rotates and with its lower end extending through the outer axialopening in the drum in position to discharge the sink products onto ascreening and spraying chute indicated generally at 70 which receivesboth the sink product and float product from the separating unit.

The screening chute 70 may be of any suitable construction. It is shownas extending through the opening in the outer end of the outer drum 14of the separating unit 11 with its inner end positioned to receive thefloat product and overflow of dense liquid from the wash bed in theinner drum 19. The chute is shown as having vertical side walls and aperforated bottom wall 71 forming a draining surface for the overflowheavy media and is provided with a drain pan 72 having vertical sidewalls,

an inwardly and downwardly sloping bottom wall extending under its innerend portion so that the heavy media drained through the perforatedbottom will drain into the pan 72 and run down into the bottom of theouter drum 14 of the second separating unit. A downwardly and outwardlyinclined screening member 73 in the form of a perforated plate ismounted adjacent the inner end of the chute 70 in position to receivethe sink products discharged through chute 69 with its sides secured tothe vertical side walls of the chute 70 and its lower outer edgepositioned above the bottom wall 71 of the chute. A .solid verticalpartitioning wall 74 extends longitudinally of the chute 70 dividing theouter end portion thereof int otwo separate screens, one for the sinkproducts and one for the float products. An upper obliquevertical wallmember 75 extends along the upper surface of the screen member 73, withits inner end secured to one of the side walls of the chute 70 and itsouter end joining the upper portion of the inner end of the partitioningmember 74, for directing the flow of the sink products onto the lefthand side of the partition portion of the chute 70 looking towards itsouter end. A lower oblique vertical wall member 76 extends along theupper surface of the bottom wall 71 of the chute 70 below the screeningmember 73 with its inner end secured to the other side wall of the chute70 and its outer end joining the lower portion of the inner end of thepartition wall member 74 for directing the flow of float products ontothe right hand side of the partitioned portion of the chute 70.

From the foregoing the operation of the apparatus is believed apparent.

The raw products are fed into the upstream end of the washing bed in theinner drum 19 of the first separating unit. The float products pass overthe screening chute 28 with the dense media draining into the pan 30 andflowing into the bottom of the outer drum 14 of the unit where it islifted by the buckets 26 and discharged into the chute 67 and flowstherethrough into the spout 38 and then into the chute 35 feeding theraw products into the first separating unit.

The sink products in the inner drum 19 of the first separating unit arelifted by the lifters 24 therein and deposited in the chute 36 and flowtherethrough and are discharged into the upstream end of the washing bedin the inner drum 19 of the second separating unit.

The float product from the second separating unit discharges onto thescreening chute 70 and passes onto the right hand side of its outerdivided end portion, with the dense media draining into the receptacle72 and flowing into the bottom of the outer drum 14 of the unit where itis lifted by the buckets 26 and discharged into the chute 68 and flowstherethrough into the spout 39 and then into the chute 36 transferringthe sink product from the first separating unit into the secondseparating unit.

The sink products in the second separating unit are lifted by thelifters 24 therein and deposited in the chute 69 and flow therethroughand are discharged onto the screen member 73 of the screening chute 70and pass onto the left hand side of the outer divided end portion of thechute with any dense media carried by the sink products draining intothe receptacle 72.

From the foregoing it readily will be seen that there has been providednovel and improved apparatus for separating raw heterogeneous productsinto three products of different specific gravities by the heavy mediaprocess; apparatus which employs two separation chambers, each adaptedto contain heavy media of the required specific gravity; which providesmeans for recycling the heavy media discharged from each washing bedhack into the bed; and in which the conduits for feeding the products tobe separated in each bed are so arranged as to permit the beds to be ofany desired length and allows easy access thereto and which iseconomical from the standpoint of space utilization and operation.

While the screening and spraying chutes 28 and 70 6 for receiving theoverflow float products from the two separating units may be of anysuitable usual type, preferably they are vibrating screens, driven byany suitable usual means not shown.

Obviously the invention is not restricted to the particular embodimentthereof herein shown and described.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for separating a raw heterogeneous product into threeproducts of different specific gravities by the heavy media processcomprising a pair of drums rotatable about a horizontal axis and forminga first and a second separation chamber each adapted to confine a bodyof heavy media; separate means for each chamber for overflow of floatmaterial therefrom; with each means including a discharge chute having adraining surface for the heavy media; lifting means within each chamberoperably by rotation of the chamber to lift sink material therein;transfer means for transferring lifted sinkmaterial from said firstchamber to said second chamber; means including a conduit for removinglifted sink material from said second chamber; separate means for eachchamber for recycling the overflow heavy media discharged therefrom withthe float material back into the chamber including a receptacle in theform of a drum-like enclosure surrounding the chamber and rotatabletherewith for receiving the heavy media drained from the float products,bucket means within said drum-like enclosure operable by rotation of theenclosure to lift the heavy media therein and a recycling conduitpositioned to receive the lifted heavy media discharged by the bucketmeans and discharge it by gravity flow back into the washing bed in thechamber enclosed within said drum-like enclosure.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including a discharge screen forreceiving the sink product discharged from said second chamber, saidscreen being positioned above the inner end of the draining surface ofthe chute for receiving the float products from said second chamber sothat any heavy media carried by the sink product can drain back into thedrum-like enclosure surrounding said second chamber.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the conduit for feeding theraw products into said first chamber has a downwardly sloping portionextending in a direction substantially aligned with the axis of rotationof the chamber and enters the chamber through the opening thereinopposite the opening through which the floats are discharged with itsdischarge end positioned to discharge the raw product on the whole widthof the washing bed on the upstream side thereof and wherein the conduitfor transferring the sinks from said first chamber to said secondchamber has a downwardly sloping portion extending in a directionsubstantially aligned with the axis of rotation of said second chamberand enters the chamber through the opening therein opposite the openingthrough which the floats are discharged with its discharge endpositioned to discharge the sinks on the whole width of the washing bedtherein.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said pair of drums withtheir surrounding drum-like enclosures are mounted in spaced apartlongitudinal alignment for rotation about a common horizontal axis andwherein a stationary hollow open ended generally cylindrical member ismounted between the drum-like enclosures surrounding said drums with itslongitudinal axis in alignment with the axis of rotation of said drumsand with its open ends extending respectively into the open end of theadjacent drum, and wherein said inclined portions of the conduit forfeeding raw product into said first chamber and said inclined portion ofthe conduit for transferring sink product from said first to said secondchamber are mounted within and extend generally longitudinally of saidgenerally cylindrical member and cross each other at substantially themedian transverse axis thereof, with the portions receding one from theother and 7 enlarging towards theinterminal end to distribute theproducts flowingtherethrough on the entrance side of each respectivechamber on the whole width of the sepa ration bath therein.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said conduit for feedingraw products into said first chamber includes a portion connected to theupper end of the inclined portion thereof and extending laterallythrough the side wall of said cylindrical member between said drum-likeenclosures with its outer receiving end positioned to receive the rawproduct asit is discharged from a screening device positionedthereabove.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said generally cylindricalmember has a pair of spouts formed in the central portion of its topwall, one of said spouts communicating with the raw product feedingconduit within the generally cylindrical member and forming part of therecycling conduit for recycling the heavy media into the first chamber,the other of said spouts communicating with the sink product feedingconduit within the generally cylindrical member and forming part of therecycling conduit for recycling the heavy media into the second chamber.

7. Apparatus for separating a raw heterogeneous product into threeproducts of different specific gravities by the heavy media processcomprising a pair of rotatable separating units mounted for rotationabout horizontal axes, each of said units including concentric inner andouter drums connected for rotation about a common axis and having spacedapart side and end walls with their end walls having aligned circularopenings formed therein, the inner drums of said units forming first andsecond separation chambers, respectively, each adapted to confine a bodyof heavy media, the outer drums of said units forming separatereceptacles each adapted to receive the heavy media drained from thefloat products dischargedfrom the separation chamber enclosed therein; afeed conduit for delivering the raw products into said first separationchamber; a. chute for receiving float product from said first separationchamber and having a perforated bottom permitting the overflow heavymedia to drain into the receptacle enclosing the chamber; bucket meanswithin each outer drum operable by rotation of the drum to lift heavymedia therein to an elevated position for gravity flow back into theseparation chamber enclosed therein; lifter means within each separationchamber operable by rotation of the chamber to lift sink productstherein; a transfer conduit for transferring lifted sink products fromthe first separation chamber to the second separation chamber;'adischarge conduit for removing lifted sink products from the secondseparation chamber; and a chute for receiving float products from saidsecond separation chamber and having a perforated bottom permitting theoverflow of heavy media to drain into the receptacle enclosing thechamber.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said conduit for feedingthe raw product into said first separation chamber enters the chamberthrough the opening therein opposite the opening through which thefloats are discharged, to discharge the raw products at the upstream endof the washing bed.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein the chutes for removing thefloat products from the separation chambers are in the forms ofvibrating screens and wherein animpervious chute having an inwardlysloping bottom is positioned below the inner end part of each of saidscreens to receive the heavy media drained therethrough and discharge itinto the receptacle enclosing the respective separation chambers.

10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 9 wherein the chute for receivingfloat products from said second separation chamber carries a verticallongitudinally extending partition mounted on the outer end portion ofits screening surface dividing the surface into two parts, one part forreceiving the float products, the other part for receiving the sinkproducts and wherein an upper screening deck is mounted on the inner endof said chute for receiving the sink products and wherein means areprovided for directing the float products and sink products onto therespective portions of the outer end portion of the chute for receivingsuch products.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,700,466 Logue et a1. Jan. 25, 1955

